PREVENTION AND CONTROL

TB (TUBERCULOSIS)

Prevention and Control

If you have active TB, keep your germs to yourself. It generally takes a few weeks of treatment with TB medications before you're not contagious anymore. Follow these tips to help keep your friends and family from getting sick:

• Stay home. Don't go to work or school or sleep in a room with other people during the first few weeks of treatment for active tuberculosis.
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• Ventilate the room. Tuberculosis germs spread more easily in small closed spaces where air doesn't move. If it's not too cold outdoors, open the windows and use a fan to blow indoor air outside.
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• Cover your mouth. Use a tissue to cover your mouth anytime you laugh, sneeze or cough. Put the dirty tissue in a bag, seal it and throw it away.
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• Wear a mask. Wearing a surgical mask when you're around other people during the first three weeks of treatment may help lessen the risk of transmission.

HFMD (Hand, Food, and Mouth disease)

There is no vaccine to protect against HFMD. However, you can reduce the risk of getting infected with the viruses that cause HFMD by following a few simple steps:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands,
• Avoid close contact (kissing, hugging, sharing cups and eating utensils) with people who are infected.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces (toys, doorknobs, etc.), especially if someone is sick.

LEPROSY

The prevention of leprosy ultimately lies in the early diagnosis and treatment of those individuals suspected or diagnosed as having leprosy, thereby preventing further transmission of the disease to others.

• Public education and community awareness are crucial to encourage individuals with leprosy and their families to undergo evaluation and treatment with MDT.
• Household contacts of patients with leprosy should be monitored closely for the development of leprosy signs and symptoms.
• A study demonstrated that prophylaxis with a single dose of rifampicin was 57% effective in preventing leprosy for the first two years in individuals who have close contact with newly diagnosed patients with leprosy.
• There is currently no widely used standard for using medications for the prevention of leprosy.
• Currently, there is no single commercial vaccine that confers complete immunity against leprosy in all individuals.
• Several vaccines, including the BCG vaccine, provide variable levels of protection against leprosy in certain populations

References

• http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/basics/prevention/con-20021761
• http://www.cdc.gov/hand-foot-mouth/about/prevention-treatment.html
• http://www.emedicinehealth.com/leprosy/page10_em.htm